Veterinarians in communes are straining to vaccinate before the rainy season

Strengthen vaccination

In the first 9 months of 2023, the total livestock herd in this province increased compared to the same period last year. Thanks to strict vaccination of livestock and disease control, farmers boldly restocked their herds to serve the market during the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Statistics from the Binh Dinh Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine show that by the end of August 2023, the total herd of cows in Binh Dinh reached more than 307,000 heads, an increase of 3.7% over the same period, the herd of pigs was more than 682,000 heads, an increase of 2.3% and a poultry herd of 9.7 million, an increase of 10.8%.

"The total livestock herd increased thanks to the highly effective vaccination of livestock herds in Binh Dinh, thus controlling the disease. Besides, the product consumption situation is also better than in the past. Product selling prices also increased slightly and remained stable, making farmers boldly re-herd", Mr. Huynh Ngoc Diep, Director of the Department Binh Dinh Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine, shared.

Livestock disease control in Binh Dinh is carried out in a remote prevention style. In particular, the authorities implement the vaccination work powerfully and thoughtfully, especially the synchronous implementation of prevention, disinfection, and antiseptic measures. In addition, the veterinary sector at all levels regularly inspects and monitors disease prevention for livestock and poultry to ensure the maintenance of effectiveness and timely detection of diseases to control and prevent them from spreading into diseases.

These days, Phu Cat district's veterinary industry is making efforts to deploy vaccines to prevent livestock and poultry diseases in the second phase of 2023. This vaccination period will occur from September 15 to the end of December 2023.

For poultry, Phu Cat district authorities continue to vaccinate chickens and ducks until the end of December 2023. Vaccination to prevent foot and mouth disease in buffaloes and cows from September 15 to October 15. As for the vaccine to avoid lumpy dermatitis, the organization will vaccinate newborn calves and unvaccinated buffaloes and cows until the end of December 2023.

To date, Phu Cat has allocated over 47,000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to communes and towns and nearly 20,000 doses of nodular dermatitis vaccine. Phu Cat strives to vaccinate against foot and mouth disease in buffaloes and cows to reach 92% or more.

Commune veterinarians have to work twice as hard

Cat Trinh commune is one of the localities with the most significant livestock herds in Phu Cat district (Binh Dinh), with a total herd of 4,600 buffaloes and cows, 6,000 pigs, and 50,000 poultry.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Muoi, veterinary staff of Cat Trinh commune, in the past, when there was still a village veterinary system, the Cat Trinh commune veterinarian also had a tough time with vaccination work. Because Cat Trinh commune has only 4 villages, each village has 1 veterinary staff, while the commune's livestock herd is the largest in the district, so the veterinary force has to work at total capacity to complete the task.

Other communes have many villages, which means there are many village veterinarians. Still, the livestock herd is lower than in Cat Trinh commune, so the veterinary force in these communes has less work during vaccination rounds.

That is to say, when there was still a village veterinary force, after September 1, 2023, localities in Binh Dinh simultaneously abolished village veterinary medicine, and all vaccination work was put on commune veterinary medicine. Meanwhile, the time for foot-and-mouth disease vaccination for buffaloes and cows in the second phase of 2023 is limited from September 15 to October 15, 2023, and must be completed.

“The district People's Committee's directive document says that it will research support for veterinary staff in vaccination work but does not specify how much the support per day is. To fight the fire during this vaccination campaign, when I went to mobilize village veterinarians to participate in vaccination work, I promised my brothers that if the support level did not reach the working day, I would deduct my allowance to compensate them. In this context, I have to work twice as hard to complete the vaccination task for the second phase of 2023," shared Mr. Nguyen Van Muoi, veterinarian of Cat Trinh commune.

“The disease epidemic in livestock herds in Phu Cat district has been controlled for a long time, so many livestock households have developed a subjective mentality. Before entering the vaccination campaign, the authorities must mobilize livestock households so that their animals are fully vaccinated. Only then can livestock be protected during the rainy and stormy season. However, currently there is no support level for veterinary staff in vaccination work. We are temporarily encouraging village veterinarians to participate with a support level of VND 150,000/day. This level of support is too low compared to the technical workday, so it is very difficult to mobilize, we have to awaken their love for the job to get them to participate," Mr. Doan Van Sang, Director of the Phu Cat District Agricultural Service Center, shared.